“All of this took place during a time of war. Sadly, this does not distinguish it from any other time; it was always a time of war.”

These lines introduce the story world and what’s considered “normal” in it. This nods to the idea that history is often told by wars by noting that it is almost always wartime in Beatryce’s world. This passage also supports how the Chronicles of Sorrowing are both a self-fulfilling prophecy and a product of their environment. The Chronicles of Sorrowing are so named because they reflect the sorrow in the world around them, but the sorrow in the world is also largely caused by the prophecies in the chronicles being interpreted or used in negative ways. Thus, the chronicles contribute to and take their cue from war, which supports how the world of the story is rarely peaceful.

“‘Is he made so?’ she asked. ‘With only one eye?’

‘No,’ said the tutor. ‘Some trauma happened, I suppose.’

‘It’s broken!’ shouted Asop.”

This passage comes from the recurring dream Beatryce has while she is unconscious after the attack on her home and the death of her brothers. This is the moment right before the attack, which is like any other in Beatryce’s life—the change to come is not foreshadowed or announced. The seahorse’s missing eye nods to the book’s theme of Coping with Trauma, and the discussion of the creature’s fate shows how trauma is often overlooked by those who have not lived it.